Ian (Bugsy) Potter, a Racing Cruising Sailor

by Rob Kothe/Sail-World Cruising on 3 Jan 2009 The line between the racing sailor and the cruising sailor gets pretty blurry sometimes, when the traditional love of the blending with the sea and its capricious beauty crosses over with the love of a fast sail in a boat that goes like a blur. This was pretty evident when Sail-World's Rob Kothe interviewed 29 times Hobart racer, Ian (Bugsy) Potter.

'Bugsy' did his 29th Hobart this year on a boat called Pirelli, that has already shown its pedigree by winning the Sydney Gold Coast Race, twice being line-honours winner of the Gosford Lord Howe, and facing up for the 11th time for the Hobart. He was the navigator on this occasion - and could probably do it blindfold by now.

However, it wasn't the Hobart that dominated the conversation when they met, just before the big race, it was the pirates and Ian's experiences of the so-called pirate areas:

R: What have you been doing in the last few years? You went to Europe?
I: Yeah. We had two winters in Turkey. This year we went east again and we went to Cypress to Lebanon, Israel and a road trip to Jordan. Then we went back to Cypress and back to Greece.

R: What’s the plan for next year?
I: Next year is Albania, Montenegro, Croatia, Italy and we’ll probably winter in Tunisia.

R: Not many boats coming up the Red Sea?
I: Probably not. We had the same situation – I think a lot of people were a bit afraid, but we didn’t have any trouble. We always had a policy that if you smile at them, they smile at you, and if you pull out a gun at them they might pull out a bigger one. We just met friendly people all the way. We had lots of fishermen off Yemen come up in boats with their balaclavas and just stop and had a chat and give them some cigarettes and take their photo and they take their balaclava off and smile, because that’s the way they protect their faces from the sun.

R: That’s the scary thing. I’ve seen them in Asia. The balaclavas are not what we’re used to.
I: It’s the same in Indonesia. You get all these fishing boats coming up to you and keep converging on course and you go what’s going on. The boats you realise in the end that they want to cross your bow and get rid of the bad spirits. If they cross your bow the bad sprits get off their boat onto your boat and they’re happy. You get used to that after a while.

R: The first few times would probably cause a few –
I: It’s alright in the day; it’s in the middle of the night that it gets a little bit awry. The Americans are seen as the most paranoid people but I suppose you could understand that.

R: You think that the cruisers carrying guns could lead to a lot of pirates problems ?
I: It can lead to a lot of problems because some of these guys are just gung ho and shoot first and ask questions later and it might be just some innocent fisherman coming up and having a look.

R: I imagine Somalia is a different kettle?
I: Somalia is.

R: Coming up the Yemen Coast seems like it’s relatively the safest thing to do.
I: We stayed about 50 miles off, and I think sailing is more difficult closer in to shore

R: Turkey is an interesting place?
I: Turkey is fantastic. Their infrastructure leaves us for dead here marina wise. You go to Marmaris Yacht Marina and there are 1000 boats on the water and 1000 boats on hardstand. They’re just so efficient. Everything is just so together.

Greece is a bit different. Greece is a bit laid back with unfinished marinas and they don’t really care too much, but the Turks are really into the boating industry.

However, Ian Potter is not finished with racing, and next year will be his 30th experience of the famous race:

R: So 30th is the goal?
I: Yeah. I’ll probably be banned after that.

Never, Bugsy, never. Sail-World will wait to see you do your fortieth!